A transgender Aboriginal man connects with heritage through mutton birding

Alix Maynard, a Palawa man from Launceston in Lutruwita/Tasmania, uses the traditional practice of mutton birding to navigate his identity as a transgender man.

Maynard grew up in a regional Australian community where his family had little experience with transgender people. He faced challenges from his grandparents, who held fixed views on gender, while his mother eventually began to accept his identity as he expressed himself more freely.

During difficult times, Maynard found solace in memories of Big Dog Island, a 354-hectare land mass in the Bass Strait near Flinders Island. The island serves as one of the few locations where mutton birds, also known as short-tailed shearwaters, burrow. These birds have been hunted and eaten by Tasmanian Aboriginal people for more than 10,000 years.

Maynard recalls his father teaching him how to pluck the birds as a child, a process that involves reaching into burrows to pull out the birds for cleaning and processing into food like stews or curries. For Maynard, these traditions provide a clear link to his ancestors and his specific tribe. He views the work of hunting at the rookery as a masculine role and aims to take on more active responsibilities within this ancient custom.

While he continues to wait for his grandparents to fully acknowledge his transition, he finds strength in the cultural history that defines his heritage.